So here we are. It’s election day, 2020. We are a country at the precipice, except our momentum has already carried us over the edge and now we are stuck in mid-air looking down at the ground below us like Wile E. Coyote. Our only shot at survival, pulling out that Acme brand trampoline we all have in our possession-our VOTE. It’s our best chance at another shot to chase that crazy roadrunner we call “a more perfect union.”
I’m not saying Trump is the worst president of all-time. There are things in history that I don’t know that could make someone worse (but probably not). I mean, at least Nixon opened up China. All this dummy does is open his fat mouth to spit out nonsense. It’s like he was cursed to have a never-ending stream of bullshit fill his brain and he just has to let it out so his head doesn’t explode. In four years he has done nothing to make America even a little bit better. And when people come at you with the economy, ask them if they’re actually doing any better. I’m not. You probably aren’t either. That’s because when people on tv say “the economy” they mean the one rich people have. Not the paycheck-to-paycheck-struggling-to-make-rent-choosing-between-food-and-paying-the-electric-bill types.
Most of you have probably already voted, which is fantastic. I voted a couple weeks ago and felt a heavy weight leave my body. It is our civic duty and our one chance to make our voices heard. All of the protests, the marches, the tragic deaths…they’re all for nothing if we don’t vote.
With that, today I’d like to present Gloom Balloon’s latest single. It’s Patrick Tape-Fleming’s upbeat and optimistic anthem of community and self-love. The video is entirely made up of photos taken by local Des Moines photographer Joe Crimmings in the days after the murder of George Floyd. The images serve as a reminder that injustice and systemic racism exist everywhere, and that is a huge part of what this election is all about.
The song, “In Our Dreams We Are Beautiful And Free,” is a funky track heavy on a Sly & The Family Stone vibe. It’s interesting that the whole thing (it only runs 2 minutes) is one big repeating chorus led by Tina Haas Findlay. Patrick’s voice is buried in the background along with Chris Ford’s. You can still hear plenty of Patrick on this one, though, as he takes a Brian Wilson approach to the music. His credits include: guitar, moog, mellotron, tambourine, wood block, strings, and organ, just to name a few.
My favorite part of the song is the very end. The last few seconds feature Patrick’s son Nillson singing “Rainbow Connection” and it is the perfect slice of hope I think we all need today.
“In Our Dreams We Are Beautiful And Free” can be found on Gloom Balloon’s new album So Bergman Uses Bach To Get His Point Across, I Feel Like I Have Chosen Rock But At What A Cost. You can buy it here on digital/CD/Vinyl.
If you need help finding your polling place or any other info, head over to vote.org